Source : INDIATV NEWS
According to the statement by the Ministry of Culture, the Piprahwa Relics include bone fragments, soapstone and crystal caskets, a sandstone coffer and offerings, such as gold ornaments and gemstones, were excavated by William Claxton Peppe in 1898.
India has intervened to stop the auction of a portion of the sacred Buddhist relics at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, which were excavated in the northern parts of the country in 1898. New Delhi has demanded their repatriation. The Ministry of Culture on Monday said it has issued a “legal notice to Sotheby’s Hong Kong”, seeking “immediate cessation of the auction” scheduled for Wednesday (May 7). The Ministry added that Sotheby responded to the legal notice with the “assurance” that “full attention” is being given to the matter.
The ministry’s statement reads, “These relics, excavated from the Piprahwa Stupa – widely recognised as the ancient city of Kapilavastu, the birthplace of Lord Buddha – hold immense historical and spiritual significance.”
The statement added that the Piprahwa Relics, which include bone fragments, soapstone and crystal caskets, a sandstone coffer and offerings, such as gold ornaments and gemstones, were excavated by William Claxton Peppe in 1898.
A Brahmi script inscription on one of the caskets confirms these as relics of the Buddha deposited by the Sakya clan, the ministry’s statement further added.
Most of these relics were transferred to the Indian Museum in Kolkata in 1899 and classified as “AA” antiquities under the Indian law, prohibiting their removal or sale, the statement said.
“While a portion of the bone relics was gifted to the King of Siam, a selection retained by Peppe’s descendants has now been listed for auction,” it said.
The ministry, in a post on X, shared a copy of the legal notice, according to which another copy of it has been sent to a descendant of Peppe.
The government has taken “swift and comprehensive measures” to “prevent the auction” of the relics, underscoring India’s “commitment to protecting its cultural and religious heritage”, the Ministry of Culture said.
The notice adds that “these relics – referred to as ‘duplicate jewels’ – constitute inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community.
(With inputs from agencies)
